Citizens Point

This explainer summarizes important facts on the Greenland issue- in a ‘Who, What, When, Where & Why’ format.

Who?

US President Donald Trump’s Greenland demand has surprised many European countries. The USA’s demand to either buy a portion of a European country or forcefully capture it contradicts the American commitment to NATO and its allies. In the third week of January, the U.S.A. put a 15% tariff on several European allies and conditionally threatened to increase it to 40% by June. The condition is a deal for American-owned Greenland.

What?

Political Status: The world’s largest island, ‘Greenland,’ is owned by the Kingdom of Denmark. It is a self-governing province with its own elected Parliament (Inatsisartut) as well as government (Naalakkersuisut). Denmark handles foreign policy and defence of the island. This self-governance model was implemented only in 2009, where citizens vote to elect a representative assembly, which then elects the premier, who governs through the cabinet.

Where?

Geography: Greenland is part of the North American continent. It is the largest piece of land on the American continents to remain under European control. The island is five times the size of Denmark (mainland) and spreads across 2.16 million sq. kilometers. The island is slightly larger than ‘Saudi Arabia,’ or slightly smaller than two times ‘Venezuela.’ It is a fifth of the USA’s landmass. While broad, the island hosts a population of only 56 thousand. Denmark, on the other hand, has a population of 5.9 million (not including Greenland).

History of Settlements: Paleo-Eskimo/Innuit settlers (or Kalaallit) started migrating in small numbers using the Canadian Arctic islands since 2500 BCE and settled in tiny numbers on the western shores of Greenland. Therefore, the island is natively called “Kalaallit Nunaat,” or “Land of the Kalaallit.” The island is almost entirely covered by icy glaciers. Can you predict why it’s called Greenland?

Greenland Name Mystery: Apparently, Greenland owes its name to a Norse Viking named ‘Erik The Red.’ In 982, Iceland banished Erik for manslaughter, and he settled on the eastern part of an island. In 985, the infamous Erik returned and called his newly settled island “Greenland.” A thousand-year-old record of Icelandic lore called it an attempt to decieve and inspire more people to migrate to Erik’s harsh, icy settlement. By the 15th century, the Norwegian settlement had ceased to exist in Greenland. It is important to note that Greenland had some green cover during the warm medieval climate of 900-1300, but it was limited. With climate change, scientists note that the island’s green cover is increasing again. A Nature article estimated a doubling of vegetation in the past three decades.

Norway and Denmark united as a single kingdom in the 18th century. In 1721, a Catholic priest, Hans Egede, supported by the monarchy, began the process of converting the sparse Innuit settlers of Greenland to Christianity. This process of colonization brought most of the colonies in Greenland under European rule. In 1814, Norway and Denmark separated into two distinct kingdoms and the later inherited Greenland under the ‘Treaty of Kiel.’ 

Denmark increased its colonial rule to more areas of Greenland after the 1880s and set up its permanent presence on the island only in 1909. It declared Greenland as its territory only in 1921, despite Norway’s presence on a stretch of the middle eastern coast of the island. Norway contested the declaration, but foreign recognition of Denmark’s claims weakened its position. Especially the USA! 

American Hand in Danish Rule: In 1916, the United States of America bought the Danish West Indies island and renamed it as ‘Virgin Island.’ In return, Washington officially accepted ‘Greenland’ as part of Denmark. The Permanent Court of International Justice ruled in 1933 that the crown of Denmark has sovereign control over Eastern Greenland. 

If Trump succeeds in having Denmark cede Greenland to the USA in the future, it will not be the first time this has happened.

Why?

To understand the nature of U.S. claims on Greenland, it is important to mention the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which initially aimed to curtail further European colonization on both American continents. It is best to understand this doctrine through the words of its promulgator. former US President James Monroe, who stated, “The American continents … are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” In later years, the USA used the doctrine as a tool for intervention in Latin America. Ring any bells! Technically, the U.S.A. had made an exception to its Monroe Doctrine, which was against European occupation/colonialism of the Western Hemisphere (west of mainland Europe). Even after two centuries, the Monroe Doctrine remains relevant, as seen in the recent American operation in Venezuela.

Greenland & America Connection: In 1886, American Robert Peary began exploring vast, hitherto undiscovered areas of the   reaches of Greenland and privately claimed them to be American territory as its first explorer. By end of the century, Peary reached the northernmost point of Greenland named Cape Morris Jesup. The above claim is neither official nor significant to the current controversy.

The original idea of acquiring Greenland under the US flag is credited to Maurice Francis Egan in 1909, who was then a US ambassador to Denmark. Maurice’s proposal did not gain any traction in Washington, and there were no official US negotiations on the same. Rather, in 1916, the U.S. recognized Greenland as Danish territory in exchange for the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.

American Presence in Greenland: During the 2nd World War, the strategic importance of Greenland increased as naval activity increased in the Arctic. On 9th April, 1941, the defence of Greenland agreement was signed between the U.S.A. and the Kingdom of Denmark. America began its military presence in Greenland after an agreement with free Denmark’s US Ambassador, Henrik Kauffmann. Germany’s occupation of Danish lands prompted this deal, which preempted any German claims on the island. Additionally, Kaufmann was the architect of this treaty. During the Cold War, Greenland became important for the US’s strategic presence in the Arctic. The US set up the extremely secretive Pituffik Space Base to observe Soviet missiles. Most projectiles from Russia to the USA will be in Greenland’s airspace. Later, a dozen more bases were established in the Cold War period. Today, most of these bases are dormant except the Pituffik base. The treaty even allows more military bases, if required.

Strategic Importance of Greenland: The island’s vast spread gives vital opportunities to set up bases for observing Russian air activities (especially missile launches). Greenland also has an advantage due to the warm Mediterranean current, which keeps the southern and eastern shores navigable in winter. This factor also increases its strategic importance with regard to the Arctic Circle, especially for the future maritime routes via the Arctic Ocean. It is predicted that the Arctic ice will completely melt by the end of the 21st century and shorten shipping routes between Asia and Europe by approximately 40 percent. It will be far cheaper compared to the heavy tolls on the passage through the Suez Canal. Thus, the Arctic offers tremendous importance to future Russian, European, and American interests. So does Greenland.

A separate opinion article will soon follow that analyzes US strategy in the long run. This article will explain the significance of Greenland for Washington’s future prospects. Have a wonderful day!